Education – Keeping Ahead of the Curve: Photogallery

Friday, 22 November 2013

On November 21, the Education Department hosted Keeping Ahead of the Curve in the Ozinga Chapel as part of the effort to supports students and graduates in staying updated with the many issues and reforms happening in K-12 schools.

Education students from the novice teaching General Methods Education Course were able to share their technology-focused projects with Trinity professors, alumni, and teachers from area schools. The reception allowed teacher candidates to be the experts on the technology platform they use for the project.

Nate Hendrikse ’14, of Oostburg, Wisconsin, found the event valuable for many reasons.

“As future teachers we need to be always improving in our professions and learning new things,” Hendrikse said. “It seems that there is always a new and exciting activity to use in the classroom. This event help showcase these to us.”

Attendees learned from student projects and were able to spend time with former classmates and professors before heading to the five sessions of presentations by Trinity professors, Trinity alumni, and guest speakers from the community.

In these Education events, held once a semester, the audience has typically been alumni and education students. The November 21 event included cooperating teacher and P-12 partners, and the Center for Christian Urban Education.

Rhoda Mattson, Assistant Professor of Education, was pleased to see this event grow to include more of the educational community surrounding Trinity.

“It has been exciting to work together across different parts of campus to produce great events for our community,” Mattson said.

Hendrikse noted that this event is just one of the many ways the Education Department prepares its students for their teaching careers.

“We are in the classroom starting sophomore year, so we bank a lot of hours in a wide variety of placements by the time we graduate” Hendrikse said. “Our professors also really give us good insight and examples on how to be great teachers since they are teachers themselves.”

The next Education Department event Social Thinking, will occur in February 2014, and will include collaboration between the Education Unit and Alumni office with the Center for Special Education.